Shaft boring or tunneling machine.



w. P. WITTIOH.

SHAFT BORING 0R TUNNELING MAQHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.23, 1908. Y

' Patented Dec. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. F. WITTIGH'.

SHAFT BORING OR TUNNELING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 111:0. 2a, 1908.

1,046,927. Patentd Dec. 10, 191 2.

2 sums-sum 2.

c LUMBIA ILANOCIRAPH m..WMMINa'roN, D. c.

WILLIAM F. WITTICI-I, or ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHAFT BORING OR- TUNNELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 23, 1908.

Patented nee.1o,1912.

Serial No. 469,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. lVI'rTIoI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and Stat-e of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shaft Boring or Tunneling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shaft boring or tunneling machines and consists in certain improvements in the construction thereof as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention I utilize a head which is rotated. In this head I mount a series of cutters and actuate these cutters independently of the head so that the head may be rotated slowly or rapidly as it is desired, depending upon the material being operated on, while the cutters may be given a speed at all times which will assure the greatest efficiency. I also provide a preferable means for carrying away the muck from the working face; also a preferable means for mounting and advancing the head.

The invention also involves a desirable means for driving the head and cutters.

Other features of the invention will appear from the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated in accompanying drawings as follows:

Figure 1 is a section on the line 11 in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 2 is a section of the head and cam wheel. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 in Fig. 1.

The machine shown is designed for shaft boring but in the broader aspects of the invention, the greater part of the invention is applicable to a tunneling machine as well.

1 marks the head. This, as shown in Fig. 3,has four arms. 2 shows the working face; 3 a supporting wheel mounted in the head and carrying the weight of the parts so as to relieve tl e cutters of this. The cutters 4 are slidin "ly mounted in the head and are arranged s as to cover the entire surface of the workin gkace. The cutter has the shoulder 5 and is vrranged in the socket 6 in the head. The so *ket 6 has the closures 7 and 8 which form biarings for the cutter. A spring 9 is betw wen the closure 7 and shoulder 5 and is tensioned to retract the cutter. Cam wheels 10 ar mounted on the head in bearings 11 and 12, the wheel 10 having the bearing studs 14 and 15 extending into these bearings. These wheels are preferably arranged with their axes extending radially with relation to the head and preferably have a plurality of cam surfaces 13 in position to engage and force forward the cutters 4 so as to deliver a blow to the cutting face. I prefer to divert the cutters at the periphery outwardly sufficiently to give clearance for the head and to shape the cam wheels so that the cam surfaces are properly directioned to operate on these cutters. For this purpose I curve the cam wheel at 16 carrying the cams through the curved portion. The head is mounted on the swivel piece 17 and this is swiveled in the end of a hollow shaft 19 by means of a pin and grooved mechanism 18. Two of the cam wheels 10 have the gears 20 arranged intermediately therein and the other two cam wheels have the gears 22, the gears 22 being out of the circular path of the gears 20 so that cutters may be actuated throughout the entire face. The gears 20 and 22 are driven by a gear 21, which is fixed on the shaft 19.-

The shaft 19extends through bearings 23 and 24 in the spiders 25 and 26'of the movable frame. This movable frame is made up of the spiders 25 and 26 and connecting longitudinal rods 27. These connecting rods extend through bearings 28 on spiders 29 of the stationary frame, the rods being free to slide in these bearings. Shoes 30 are connected with the spiders 29 by expanding devices 31, the expanding devices being preferably in the form of screws. These devices expand against the walls of the bore as shown. The hollow shaft 19 extends through bearings 32 in the stationary frame as well as bearings 23 and 2 4 in the moving frame.

A motor 33 is mounted on a frame 34 secured to the rods 27. The shaft 35 of the motor has a gear 36 secured to it. This gear 36 meshes a gear 37 journaled on the shaft 38. The gear 37 meshes a gear 39 fixed on shaft 40. The shaft 40 is mounted in the bearings 4141 in the yokes 41-41 extending from the spiders 25 and 26. A gear 42 is fixed on the shaft 40 and meshes a gear 43. The gear 43 is fixed on the hollow shaft 19. In this way the hollow shaft may be driven from the motor 33 and the hollow shaft driving the gear 21 drives the gears 20 and 22, thus actuating the cam wheels. The hollow shaft is locked against axial movement relatively to the movable frame by the pins 44 extending into the groove 45 in the hub of the wheel 43.

A gear 46 is arranged on the periphery of the head. A gear 47 meshes the gear 46. The gear 47 is fixed on a shaft 48 which is journaled in bearings 49 carried. by the yokes 49 extending from the spiders 25 and 26. A gear 50 is fixed on the shaft 48 and meshes the intermediate gear 51. The intermediate gear is journaled on the shaft 52 and meshes a gear 53. The gear 53 is fixed on a shaft 54, the shaft 54 being the shaft of the motor 55. By this means the head 1 may be driven from the motor 55 and by controlling the motors 33 and 55 the speed of the cutters may be maintained as desired and the head rotating as rapidly or as slowly as the nature of the working face will permit.

An elevator 56 is mounted on the head by means of the yo-kes 56 The lower shaft 57 of this elevator is near the working face so that the buckets 58 of the elevator will clear theface of muck. These buckets are carried by the belt 59 which extends around the shaft 57 and an upper shaft 60. The shaft 60 has a gear 61 which meshes a gear 62. The gear 62 is carried by a shaft 63 mounted in the bearings 64 attached to the elevator. A gear 65 is fixed on the shaft 63 and meshes a rack 66 mounted on the spider 26. The rack 66 is therefore locked against rotary motion but of course advances with the head. It will readily be observed that as the head is rotating, carrying with it the elevator, the gear 65 operating upon the relatively stationary rack 66 imparts motion to the elevator belt, thus carrying the muck upwardly and delivering the same to a hopper 67. It

will be observed that by forming the head with the radial arms the elevators may be extended down between the arms practically to the face of the work so that the face may be kept clear. The hopper 67 is supported by the arms 67 extending from the spider 26 inside of the path of travel of the elevator. Openings 68 extend through the shaft 19 in position to permit the movement of material from the hopper to the interior of the shaft. The swivel piece 17 is closed by a plate 17 to prevent an outflow of material. An elevator belt 69 passes around the lower shaft 70 within the hollow shaft 19. The shaft 70 is carried by a frame 71 which extends upwardly and out of the shaft 19 and is on the brackets 7272 extending from the spider 25. The buckets 73 on the elevator are so curved as to just fill the hollow shaft. The belt 69 runs over the shaft 74 at the upper end and is driven by the shaft 74. The shaft 74 is mounted in the bearings 757 5 on the brackets 72-72. A gear 76 is fixed on the shaft 74 and meshes a gear 77 on the shaft 40. The GlGWLtOl in the hollow shaft is therefore driven in this manner from the motor 33.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: The stationary frame is anchored in the here by the expanding devices, operating on the feet 30. Ordinarily, the bore is provided with a casing as shown as the bore is advanced. The weight of the moving frame advances the head, the roller 3 taking the weight of the parts off of the cutters. The head is rotated from the motor 55, operating through the shafting 48 and gears 47 and 46 upon the head. This rotation of the head, of course, may be controlled independently of the speed of the cutter actuating mechanism. The cutters are actuated by the cam wheels 10. These are operated by the gear 21 of the hollow shafting, extending through the center of the frame. This hollow shaft is driven through the motor 33, and gears 42 and 43. The elevator extending to the outer edge of the bore takes up the muck, as it accumulates, and is delivered by the elevator to the hopper leading to within the center of the shaft. The elevator, at the face, is carried by the head, and is driven by gears, the rotation of the head which carries the elevator effecting the movement of the elevator. The elevator in the hollow shafting is driven by the motor 33 by way of the shafting 40 and shafting 74.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters mounted on the head; and rotating means having its axis at an angle to the axis of the head for engaging and reciprocating said cutters.

2. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters mounted on the head; a cam wheel for actuating the cutters mounted with its axis at an angle to the axis of the head.

3. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters mounted on the head; a cam wheel for reciprocating the cutters, said wheel being mounted on the head with its axis nearer a right angle to the axis of the head than parallel thereto.

4. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters mounted on the head; a cam wheel having its axis extending in a radial direction relatively to the action of the head for reciprocating the said cutters.

5. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters mounted on the said head; a cam wheel having its axis at an angle to the axis of the head and having a plurality of cam surfaces for reciprocating said cutters.

6. In a shaft boring or tunneling ma chine the combination of a head; cutters mounted in the head out of parallel; a cam wheel having its axis at an angle to the axis of the head and having cam surfaces varying as the direction or movement of the cutters varies, for reciprocating the cutters.

7. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters extending in an axial direction with relation to the head and at the periphery in a radial. direction with relation to the head to give clearance to the head; a cam Wheel mounted on the head with its axis extending in a radial direction with relation to the head, said cam wheel havin cam surfaces curved at the outer end of the cam Wheel to conform to the direction of movement of the cutters.

S. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters mounted in said head; a cam wheel for actuating said cutters, having its axis extending in a radial direction relatively to the action of the head; bearings for the cam wheel at the ends of the Wheel; a gear intermediate of the ends of the cam wheel; and means operating upon said gear for actuating the cam wheel.

9. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters mounted in said head; two cam wheels for actuating said cutters, said wheels having their axes extending in a radial direction relatively to the action of the head; bearings for said wheels at the ends of said wheel; gears intermediate the ends of said wheels, said gears being arranged relatively to each other to travel in different circumferential paths; and means operating upon said gears for actuating said wheels.

10. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; cutters mounted in the head; a cam wheel for actuating said cutters having its axis extending in a radial direction relatively to the head; a gear on the cam wheel and a gear mounted concentrically with the head for operating upon the gear of the cam Wheel to actuate the cam wheel.

11. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; a gear arranged at the periphery of the head; outters mounted in the head; a cam wheel for actuating the cutters, said wheel being mounted with its axis at an angle to the axis of the head; means for actuating the cam wheel; and a gear operating upon the gear on the head for driving the head.

12. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a head; a gear at the periphery of the head; a drive gear meshing the gear on the head for driving the head: cutters mounted on the head; a cam wheel having its axis at an angle to the axis of the head for actuating said cutters; a gear on said cam wheel; a gear concentrically mounted with relation to the head for driving the cam wheel.

18. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a rotary head; a conveyer rotating with the head; a stationary rack; and gears carried with the conveyer meshing the rack for driving the conveyer.

14. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a rotary head; a bucket conveyer running from the face of the head to the rear of the head; a stationary rack; and gears carried with the conveyer operating upon said rack for actuating said conveyer.

15. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a rotary head having a vertical axis; a hollow shaft concentric with the head; a conveyer comprising a flexible carrier, buckets on the carrier and mountings for the carrier, said conveyer rotating with the head and arranged to deliver muck to the shaft; and means for actuating the conveyer.

16. In a shaft boring machine the combination of a head having a vertical axis; a hollow shaft concentric with the head; a bucket elevator in the hollow shaft; a second elevator rotating with the head and moving relatively to the head and adapted to deliver its material to the hollow shaft; and means for driving the second elevator.

17. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a hollow shaft; a bucket conveyer mounted in the shaft; means for actuating the bucket conveyer; and a head mounted concentrically with the shaft.

18. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a cutting head; a stationary frame; means expanding against the walls of the bore for anchoring the frame; a movable frame comprising longitudinal rods slidingly mounted in the stationary frame.

19. In a shaft boring or tunneling machine the combination of a cutting head; a stationary frame comprising two spiders; means for anchoring the spiders on the walls of the bore; a movable frame comprising spiders connected by longitudinal rods; and bearings on the stationary frame in which the longitudinal rods are slidingly mounted, said movable frame forming a mounting for the head.

20. In a shaft boring machine the combination of a cutting head; a hollow shaft concentric with the head and having a vertical axis; a stationary frame; a movable frame forming the mounting for the hollow shaft and moving with the shaft; an elevator arranged in the hollow shaft; and means on the frame for driving the elevator.

21. In a shaft boring machine the combination of a cutting head; a hollow shaft extending vertically from the head; an elevator in the hollow shaft; a hopper on the shaft for delivering material to the elevator in the shaft; and a second elevator rotating With the head and delivering material to the hopper.

22. In a shaft boring machine the combination of a cutting head formed With radial arms; cutters in the arms; cam Wheels having their axes extending radially With relation to the head for actuating the cutters;

Witnesses.

WILLIAM F. WITTICH. Witnesses:

K. R. KANE, MILTON W. SHURR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

